NASA’s new shape-shifting robot, TETwalker, could help the endurance of future spacecrafts. Its structure is a tetrahedron, consisting of telescoping struts and motors which are coordinated to shift the robot’s center of gravity, causing a tumbling motion.

The robot’s inherently rigid geometry coupled with its mode of locomotion make it an ideal candidate for the harsh conditions of space exploration. The current prototype, though not nano-scaled, is going through rigorous test to help optimize its performance. When the nano-scaled robot is realized, it would have the capacity to connect and disconnect from other TETwalkers, allowing an entire swarm of robots to form any shape as â€œautonomous nanotechnology swarmsâ€?, or ANTS.

Remember those classified ads for hoverboards along with x-ray glasses? They’re still at it, but this time it’s for real. Future Horizons is offering construction plans for a ‘real’ hoverboard. Floating 1 inch off the ground, it’s not quite a dream hoverboard, but you could build it with non-fictional parts for $500 or buy one fully assembled for $9000.

Purchase your own cavehouse at Cueva Carramaiza and live hobbit-style. The house comes complete with a mosaic bath, a large reception room with an open fire, a relaxation area and an original bread oven.

Here’s another shipping container housing strategy. With 4 unique shipping container projects under their belt, Urban Space Management is proving the flexibility of recycled containers. Nicholas Lacey’s designs recycle 100% of the shipping containers, look great, build fast, and are affordable. What more could you want? One example on containercity.com shows a small classroom addition assembled in a day!

Ferrofluid, often used as a mechanical damper by electronically controlling its viscosity, is also a great visualization tool as it responds the surrounding magnetic fields in 3-dimensions. Make some at home, or buy some online and watch it rapidly react to magnetism.

NitroJetâ„¢, originally created to cut radioactive materials, is now available through NitroCisionâ„¢. Although similar water jets (ex. Flow Int.), this method involves directing cold liquid nitrogen at high pressures which evaporates upon contact, leaving the slice without any secondary residue. Even unstable materials like TNT can be cut with CNC precision without having it blow up in your face. Alternatively, the same non-residual method could be used to remove surface materials by switching the liquid nitrogen to high temperatures and low pressures.